I'll be blunt.
There used to be some truly dreadful people who worked at the University of Nizwa, Foundation Institute and they have been removed. They made the place miserable to the best of their ability and those of us who have remained at UNIZWA are a MUCH happier lot since they went.
Some of them are still posting the most ridiculous rubbish about the Foundation Institute in the hope that they will discourage other teachers who are looking for jobs in Oman from applying there.
As adults all know, no workplace is perfect and we have our challenges to overcome just like any other place. But nowadays, we have a great team of teachers and group leaders in our department. We mostly all work well together to do our jobs. We help each other and though we work hard many of us enjoy each other's company outside the job.
Our students are of varied abilities especially as the Sultan has recently handed out a lot of scholarships to students who want to attend tertiary education all over Oman. All the schools in Oman are full of these students as a result. Many have been given an opportunity to have an educational experience and perhaps 50% will rise to the occasion, we shall see. Nevertheless, our students are a joy. They are lively, fun-loving, so open to taking on this challenge and many are keen as mustard to really learn and develop themselves.
So, I do hope that those dreadful teachers who have been trying to poison the well will now say bad things so that this thread may be locked.
The University of Nizwa is imperfect as are many of the other schools where esl/efl teachers can work. But I personally love the teachers I work with and think the students, though often frustrating, are great kids. My class time is my favorite time in this job. Our managers are basically decent Omani people who do try. Many of us have a jolly good time on the job.
Part of the year is bloody difficult but that is balanced out by some really easy times and long holidays. If you are a strong person with a good sense of humor, can always make the best of any situation, have tolerance for other cultures, get on with it when others are crumbling and enjoy some adventure, then this would be a good place to spend a couple of years - or more if it is a good match for you.
Some advice, don't pay any attention to the rubbish that has been put out about UNIZWA.
Consider the source.

I strongly recommend to those who read this post to take it with a grain of salt. The person who has written it is in a state of denial, or in a state of preserving his job. Neither condition is conducive to the truth.

Well, we know which group you two are in... But then we knew that already from your previous posts.

Hellionzap's post reflects what I have heard from some teachers who are there at the moment and have been there for a few years. In their opinion the biggest problem this year was that they kept accepting students when they didn't really have the space for them... causing lots of confusion and large classes.

We have a few of the ex Nizwa teachers at Buraimi. So far they haven't been how you described.
They seem to lay low. Although I honestly don't know them that well at all.
What I can say is that from what I have heard they seem to think that Buraimi and the ELS Buraimi University project is much better than Nizwa and the places they worked.

It makes me wonder becaise if you read the boards you will see a lot of posts telling you to avoid Buraimi U.
(written by teachers who were not hired or quickly fired within their probation in most cases).
Basically nearly everyone who was with us last year resigned which tells you something.
Two people left to go back to school and one or two others weren't re-signed by ELS. But if it's so bad why would so many re-sign.
For example only one teacher from ELS Sharqiyah stayed. Everyone else fled which tells you something about Sharqiyah last year.

Getting back to my point... if a few ex Nizwa teachers are here and say that it is better here so how bad must Nizwa be? Just a thought...

Things may be, in'shallah, better at U Nizwa. I sure hope so. The people who left should be grateful- they have a chance to start over and actually work and be glad to be employed. A little humility is good for the soul.

I loved my students there- misbegotten, unmotivated, underprepared bunch that they were. Omanis are lovely- including the students.

I wish well to the university, but I understand that there are still huge conflicts and some very controlling personalities there. I hope they can sort it out.

When you know a place is dreadful and you know that from experience...... You should try to warn others so they don't fall into the same quagmire you were able to escape from. Just because you say it's a great place to keep your job, well, that doesn't make it so.

The ONLY thing that will make The University of Nizwa a good place to work again is for the current Foundation Boss to depart the University and go to another school and impart destruction there. Minimal participation poisons the well. There is no other option. You can sugar coat it or rationalize it any way you want but these actions are futile.

There are so many conflicting interests and agendas at U. Nizwa, you will never get to the truth. I have never tried to work with so many manipulators (and cheap-skates, to boot).

I left Nizwa sadly ( I did like my students and the community). But I felt really twisted around by a number of people there (some of whom remain there). Now that I have another job, and am on to my 3rd year, happily, I realize how truly perverse the place was (that it was the place, and not me, that was negative and miserable).

Nizwa is the end of the road- and this could be a good thing for people of honest good-will. Unfortunately, the U has too many people who are utterly unemployable elsewhere, or feel stuck there by some circumstances. This breeds ill will and desperation. If people minded their own business and did their jobs, and if the management let them, it could be a good experience for all- including the students.

I have seen bad damage done to good people by the manipulations of some there. Too often this has been done under the guise of "helping the students"- when in fact people are helping their poor damaged self- esteem.

Unfortunately, from all I have heard, my advice is to keep way- there are still some rather toxic personalities haunting the halls- and they aren't all management.

There are good, albeit not perfect, jobs to be had. My current job has been really good and I quite like the people I work with. This is how a job should be. It is imperative, to me, to be able to trust my bosses and my co-workers. I had too many I could not trust at Nizwa.